Apparatus for feeding ore, coal, &amp;c.



No. 766,539. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. W. E. SMITH. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ORE, GOAL, &c.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 2. 1903.

NO MODEL 2 SHEBTSSHEET l f ii I M No. 766,539 PATENTBD AUG. 2, 1904 W. B. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ORE, GOAL, 8w.

APPLICATION FILED nm'v. 2. 1903.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDlNG ORE, COAL, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,539, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed November 2, 1903. Serial No. 179,486. (No model.)

To Ii /i rrlmmif Tit/1'61] concern:

Buffalo. in the (,:o| inty of Erie and State of New I ulh. have invented certain new and useful improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Ore, (0:11. 840.. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for removing or unload ng cargoes of material in lumps I or fragmen tssuch as metallic ore,.c ml,gra1n,

&c. -and particularly to unloading means comprising an endless conveyor-belt running in the space between the bottom of the hold and the bottom of the hull of a barge or vessel, the said conveyer receiving the material from outlets in the bottom of the hold and conducting it to suitable lifting apparatus at one end of the vessel.

The invention has for its object to provide simple and effective means for insuringa uniform and regular passage of the material from the hold to the conveyer and to guard against liability of either the clogging of the outlet and the stoppage of the flow of materialor an excessively rapid flow liable to overload the conveyer and cause the material to overflow therefrom.

A particular object aimed at by my invention is to distribute the material uniformly along the surface of the conveyer, so that the material instead of being deposited uponthe conveyer in isolated heaps or masses forms a practically continuous layer, so that when the belt assumes asteep incline in conveying the material there will be no independent masses of material to slip-or slide down the said incline, the continuity of the material making it self-supporting or free from liability. to slide backwardly.

The invention also has for its object to provide etficient means for breaking up a mass of material which mayhave become packed and formed into an arch over the mouth of the outlet. 7

The invention consists in theimproveinents which will now proceed to describe and claim. I

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a partial side elevation and partial vertical 5 1 section showing a part of a hull of a barge or vessel provided with a feeding apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the rotary gate shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

1n the drawings, (t represents the hold of a barge or other vessel the bottom of which is 6 or may be composed of a Series of hoppers 11' each having an outlet in its lower portion.

In the space between the hoppers a and the bottom of the hull of the vessel is a suitable conveyer b, which is preferably a belt adapted to convey material deposited upon it from the hold a to a suitable lifting apparatus with which the vessel is provided.

0 represents a chute or outlet through which the material passes from the hold a to the conveyor 7), the said chute being preferably arranged at the bottom portion of a hopper a.

21 represents a rotary gate which is atlixed to a shaft (4, extending across the chute c and journaled in suitable bearings, the shaft e and. the gate (i being rotated by power applied in any suitable way to the shaft. The gate (1 comprises a series of curved wings 2, which are formed and arranged so that the front side of each wing and the back side of the next wing form a pocket 3. The outer portions of the wings .2 are approximately tangential to a circle concentric with and surrounding the shaft 6, and the outer ends of the wings are preferably brought to an edge whichis sufiiciently acute to reduce by a cutting action large lumps or fragments which may stand across the path in which the outer ends of the wings move. The ends of the rotary gate (1 are in close proximity to the sides of the chute 0, so that only the portions of the material being fer that are contained in the pockets 3 can pass through the chute. The upper portion of the chute c is prefer ably contracted, so that its receiving end, which is elevated above the shaft 6, is of'a width approximating the distance between the outer end of each wing 2 and the next. 1t will be seen that the rotation of the gate rZ causes each of the pockets to receive a charge of material when it is at the upper portion of the chute and to deliver its charge at the lower portion of thechute. The close proximity of the pockets 3 to each other causes a discharge which, although intermittent, is so nearly continuous that the material is distributed along the conveyer b in a practically continuous layer. The tangential arrangement of the outer portions of the wings 2 and their rigid or relatively sharp cutting edges enable the wings to force their way with the minimum of resistance through the mass of material entering the upper portion of the chute.- If the wings were radial instead of tangential at their outer portions, the resistance to the rotation of the rotary gate by the mass of superincumbent material would be considerably greater. It will be seen that my improved rotary gate insures a practically uniform passage of the material from the hold to the belt regardless of the size of the fragments or pieces composing the materialthat is to say, material, such as ore, consisting of pieces of various sizes will be fed with practically the same regularity and uniformity as assorted coal or grain. The rotary gate exerts a constant control over the outlet, so that there is no liability of a more rapid feeding of the material when its members are small and of uniform size than when they are relatively large and of varying size.

It sometimes happens that the material being fed becomes packed in the lower portion of the hold or receptacle over the outlet and ceases to flow, the packed material forming an arch extending across the outlet. For the purpose of breaking an arch thus formed I provide means for varying the width of the receiving or upper end of the chute 0, so that the opposite sides of said receiving end can be moved away from each other by degrees to release an arch of material thatmay have formed between said ends. In this embodiment of my invention I show two plates g forming the sides of upwardly-extending continuations of the chute c, the upper ends of said plates be-. ing the upper ends of the receiving end of the chute. The plates 0 g are mounted upon shafts g," 1 which are journaled in fixed bearings and are adapted to be rotated tQcause the plates 7 g to stand in a substantially vertical position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig.

2, or in an inclined position, as shown by full lines in said. figure, or at any intermediate positiona- When the plates 5 are in position to contract the receiving end of the chute, the material is prevented from escaping behind said plates by segmental wings or extensions aiiixed to the plates 7 g. in case the material becomes packed above. the plates (1,

so that an arch is formed preventing the obstruction being thus removed.

downward movement of the material, the' plates 9 1 are swung outwardly by mechanism provided for that purpose sufiiciently to deprive the ends of the arch of its supports, whereupon the packed material will fall, the

A relatively-slow outward movement of the plates g will be suflicient for the purpose stated. In

case another arch is formed the plates g g maybe given another outward movement, and so on. The means here shown for adjusting the plates g g comprise gear-segments h h, affixed to the shafts g, a worm-gear segment 2", aflixed to one of the shafts g, and a worm j on a shaft 7" journaled in fixed bearings, said worm meshing with the segment 0,. Power may be applied to the shaft 7" to rotate the worm j in any suitable manner. I

One of the sides of the chute cnamely, the

side at the left, as shown in Fig. 2--may be made as an independent piece or part, held in its operative position by springs and adapted to yield outwardly, so that in case a lump of material which cannot be crushed by one of the wings 2 becomes wedged between an advancing wing and theside of the chute said side may yield and prevent breakage of the wing or of the chute.

1 claim I 1.- An apparatus of the character stated comprising a hold or receptacle having an outlet-chute, a belt conveyer arranged to receive material from said chute, and a rotary gatelocated in the chute and extending across the same. said gate having curved wingitiferming pockets which are arranged to deliver charges of material in close proximity to each other upon the conveyer, the edges of thewings being rigid to force their way tlll'OLlQll resisting material.

2. An apparatus of the character stated comprising a hold or receptacle having an outlet-chute, a belt conveyer arranged to receive material from said chute, and a rotary gate located in the chute and extending across the same, said gate having wings, the outer portions of which are tangentially arranged, the edges of the wings being rigid to force their way through resisting material.

3. An apparatus of the character stated comprising a hold or receptacle having an outlet-chute, a pair of plates forming gates for the receiving end of the chute, said plates being geared together and adjustable for varying the width of the upper or receiving end of said chute, and a rotary gate located in the chute, said gate having wings and pockets.

Signed at Buffalo, New Yo1 l ,'()ctober7., 1903.

\Yll'ilil A M ii. SM l'll l.

\Vitnesses: 7

CHARLES F. BnowN, ll. 1). Foiassmm. 

